


Music Lovers

by longhairshortfuse



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Lesbian Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-16
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-04-04 16:23:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4144527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/longhairshortfuse/pseuds/longhairshortfuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On her way home from hew new job on an unusually stormy day, Maureen shelters in the doorway of a store. A record store. The owner invites her in and a friendship begins.</p><p>(I'll update tags as I add chapters)<br/><b>Not abandoned, I will be back to pick up my ladies</b></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rain

Maureen glared at the blackening sky and walked faster. A cold breeze whipped at her blouse tails and made her shiver, the smell of the wind told Maureen it was going to rain. She thought of running, but her work shoes and regulation knee length pencil skirt kept her hobbled. 

_Ugh typical!_ she thought. _The day I leave my jacket because it's so humid and forget my travel card, that's when..._ The heavens opened and it poured. This wasn't just a rain shower. Maureen trotted fast as she could along the street, clinging to the storefronts for the brief shelter of the occasional awnings. It made little difference, the huge, fat droplets soaked her in seconds as rumbles vibrated the plate glass windows of the stores.

She gave up and ducked into a doorway, shivering and shaking her head. Maureen opened her canvas shoulder bag and swore. The contents were wet through. She swore louder. A bell jingled behind Maureen as the shop door opened. A voice slid through the thunder.  
"You can stand there all you want or you can come in. I don't care. Whatever."

Maureen turned and stepped into the shop.  
"Thanks. Oh! You sell records!" She stared around at the big wooden crates that made a maze of the floor area, each one half-filled with twelve-inch square sleeves. She took in the walls, floor to head height with racks for CDs and cassettes, books stacked precariously on top. The corner behind the till was occupied by a life size (and disconcertingly lifelike) statue of Woody Guthrie brandishing a mandolin with a sticker bearing the slogan _this machine kills fascists._

"Well du-u-uh!" the voice intoned. "Dark Owl Records. What did you think I'd sell?"  
Not ready to smile yet, Maureen shifted her gaze to the owner of the voice.  
"Who knows in this town. Thanks. Sorry I can't buy anything, I don't have any dry money."  
The woman stared at Maureen for ten long seconds, head to one side. She smiled or sneered, Maureen wasn't sure which.  
"I'm the owner. Michelle Nguyen. You're Maureen."  
"How did... oh." Maureen looked at her soaked shirt with the name badge pinned on. _Hey I'm Maureen! I can help you._ She pointed at it. "Yeah. Not promising to help you since I'm off the clock."  
"Ha!" The sound was like a shot. Short, surprisingly loud and left Maureen with a feeling of _did I really hear that? Should I panic?_ But Michelle smiled. "It's warmer in the back. You wanna dry off or stay wet? You're dripping on my floor. Ugh, I'll have to put up the wet floor sign for people to trip over and then complain." Michelle flipped the sign so _open_ faced the inside and clicked the lock. "May as well close. Staying open is so pathetic sometimes. Who even appreciates music enough to actually buy any. Customers are such a pain in the ass."

Maureen laughed. "I know that's true! I been working in retail since I quit my internship at the radio station. A customer complained at me because the trousers they tried on didn't fit and I couldn't find them a shirt to match their eyes. Another yelled at me because I suggested the next size up."  
Michelle snorted. "Yeah, customers. Typical."  
Maureen smiled. Michelle smiled back. Maureen thought it looked like a fake smile done the wrong way. Her own fake smile was all mouth. Michelle smiled with just her eyes.  
"I have some spare clothes if you want to change. You can drape yours on the chairs to dry and we can hang out if you want. I don't care. Up to you."  
Maureen nodded. "Thanks. I hate being cold and wet."

Michelle led Maureen into a tiny room labelled _Staff Only_ behind the till. There were stairs leading up on one side and two small armchairs in the corner. Michelle went up the first two steps and paused without looking round.  
"I'll bring you some dry clothes. Put the heater on," she pointed to the corner where a dusty fan heater sat between the armchairs, "and get those things off."  
Maureen plugged in the heater and removed her skirt, draping it over the arm of one chair. She draped her blouse over the back and stood in her wet underwear in front of the heater.  
Michelle went upstairs to find a clean, dry outfit for the striking woman with the see through blouse and the distractingly clingy skirt.

Michelle's footsteps thumped back downstairs. "There's a towel and you should take those off too. I'll wait in the shop. You like music? I mean everybody _says_ they like music but not everybody _deserves_ music. I bet I can find something totally awesome you've never heard before."  
Michelle stomped through into the shop. Maureen towelled her hair and removed her underwear. Michelle had brought her a pair of dinosaur patterned leggings, a striped sweater, a pair of knitted toe-socks and red wooden clogs. Maureen corrected herself. There were two socks but to call them a pair stretched the definition. She dressed, looked down, grimaced at her borrowed outfit and clattered into the shop, arms folded over her chest. 

"Oh you look much better in that than in your boring uniform," Michelle pursed her lips, frowned and nodded as she watched Maureen walk through from behind the counter. "Pale blue really isn't your colour. Do you want to listen to the latest from a band so new they haven't even got a name yet? They sent me a demo CD. It's mostly covers of vintage metal played on instruments carved from home-grown organic root vegetables."  
Maureen suppressed a giggle but Michelle already turned to load the CD player. Maureen perched on the counter and watched. Michelle closed her eyes and swayed slightly to the sound.  
"You listen to music I bet. This stuff is going to be so _in_ I can tell but I'll hate it by then. What do you listen to? I mean, when you think nobody is around?" Michelle half walked, half danced over to the counter and leaned against the space beside Maureen's knees.  
"Oh, whatever," Maureen replied, a little defensive. "I like all sorts of stuff."  
"Huh." Michelle frowned at thin air.

In the awkward space filled with the shriek of a carrot-whistle, Michelle stared up to her right and Maureen looked around for something to talk about. Her eyes settled on the statue by the till.  
"Ha! Your model reminds me of my old boss." Maureen smiled.  
Michelle turned to look at Maureen and raised her eyebrows. "Oh? Your boss was a musician?"  
Maureen laughed. "No. He's really into Woody Guthrie. He had a cardboard cut-out in his studio and put a poster up in the break room. We all had to say hello to it every day."  
"O-oh?" Michelle flashed a smile from her eyes. "I ordered a whole bunch of stuff for a customer. That guy from the radio, the one with awesome fashion sense."  
Maureen snorted and covered her mouth with a hand. "Oh. My. Spire. You mean Cecil Palmer. _Cecil!_ Umm. His clothing style is certainly unique." Maureen took in Michelle's outfit and her own. "Or almost unique. Uh, are you guys friends?"  
Michelle shrugged. "Friends? That's such a vague word. He comes round and we hang out sometimes to talk about the weather. I guess some people call that friends." 

Michelle was frowning again. Maureen wondered for a second if it was just the resting expression she wore or if Michelle was worried about something. She looked for something else to talk about to bring Michelle's smile back. Maureen sighed at herself, sitting on a shop counter in borrowed clothes trying to make a woman she'd just met smile at her.  
"Um, thanks again for letting me come in and dry out."  
"It's fine. You looked... like you needed to come in."  
Michelle's back rested against the counter. Maureen had a fleeting vision of shifting her knee a little, brushing her leg against Michelle's hip, reaching an arm around Michelle's shoulder, Michelle turning and...  
"Are you okay?"  
Maureen snapped back into the present. "Oh! Yes, just daydreaming."  
Maureen met Michelle's stare and grinned, partly out of nervousness. Michelle smiled back.  
_Oh!_ thought Maureen. _That's how to do it!_

The shop brightened.  
"Rain's stopping," Michelle informed Maureen, "I expect you got somewhere to be. I mean somewhere that isn't here."  
Maureen sighed. "I should be home studying. I work to help fund college. I was interning at the radio station but I got tired of... stuff."  
"That's cool, I guess." Michelle walked round the counter and disappeared through the door. She called back through. "Your stuff is still damp. You can borrow those clothes if you want and bring them back, like, whenever. I'm usually here unless there's a festival or a new band forming somewhere. So you could just, like, turn up."  
Maureen slid down from the counter and joined Michelle in the backroom.  
"Thanks, that's real kind of you. Umm, maybe we should swap numbers? Just in case there's a new band forming and I came over and you'd be out because I wouldn't know because they're so new."  
Michelle worked through Maureen's suggestion, frowning, smiling, nodding.  
"Ha! That makes total sense."

Maureen folded her damp uniform and put it in a _Dark Owl_ carrier bag. She stopped at the shop door and turned to say goodbye. Michelle reached over Maureen's shoulder to unlock the door and flip the sign. Maureen half turned at the almost physical contact, it would be so easy, a step, an apology, an awkward, fumbled hug maybe. Instead, Maureen let Michelle open the door.  
"Thanks. See you soon, I'll bring these back laundered. Tomorrow maybe? I can just drop them off if you're busy." Maureen stood in the doorway, side on between inside and out, clutching her bags.  
"Sure, tomorrow is okay I guess. If I'm not busy we could maybe hang out." Michelle was frowning again. Maureen smiled and watched Michelle's eyes crinkle at the corners in reply. "I'd not hate that."


	2. Lonely Hearts

Michelle looked around the little backroom where she sometimes sat with the latest music press and perused the listings at the back. She thumbed past pages of breaking bands and breaking up bands, cast a quick, narrowed eye over the fashion advice column she wrote under a pseudonym to make sure it had not been altered to fit the magazine's target demographic, and settled on the personal section.

Michelle sniggered at a few of the ads, as usual, before looking for anyone she would like to meet. She read a few then closed her eyes, focusing on what she wanted from a new friend. Someone to hang out with, sure. Someone who wasn't clingy but liked to be taken care of sometimes. Someone who wanted her but didn't necessarily need to be around all the time. She closed the magazine and dropped it down the side of the chair. Michelle decided she probably WNLTM WESM26yo NSA PnP*.

Michelle reached a hand down to look for the magazine. There was a music feature that had caught her eye earlier and she decided she may as well read it before any late customers came by on their way home from whatever bar had just closed, and disturbed her by asking for the latest compilation of _Wildlife – Found Music in the Sounds of Nature._ Michelle’s hand grasped the shiny paper and something with a soft but bumpy texture. She pulled the objects into her lap and frowned at them.

The magazine she set aside on the arm of the chair, from where it slid back to the floor. The sky blue bra with cream lace trim made her catch her breath. She felt the texture of the lace and the smoothness of the satin fabric, checked the label, smiled at the signs of wear and tear around the fastenings and the loose threads near the elastic. The only other time she had seen it was a day earlier, being worn by a beautiful woman who took shelter in the shop. Michelle slung the bra over the back of her chair and picked up her phone. She composed and deleted five texts before settling for _Hey I found your bra._

An hour later, just as Michelle considered closing for the night, the customer entrance siren went off. Michelle silenced it, sighed and slouched through to the shop.  
"Hey, thanks for the text." Maureen stood in the middle of the shop, clutching a plastic bag. "I brought your clothes back. They're clean and ironed."  
Michelle froze for a couple of seconds. "Uh, I'll get your bra."  
"Thanks." Maureen walked up and put the bag on the counter as Michelle disappeared, heart thumping, into the back-room. Michelle grabbed the bra, tried to fold it and took it back into the shop. She held it out. Maureen took the garment from Michelle's hand, stuffed it into a coat pocket and smiled. Michelle picked up the plastic bag from the counter.  
"Geez, this is heavy." Michelle looked inside. "Oh! You left some other stuff in here."

Michelle removed an envelope and a bottle of wine. Maureen took a step back and half-turned.  
"Um, yes." Maureen nodded without looking round. "They're for you. A thank-you gift. If you don't like wine you could--"  
"Stay."  
Maureen wasn't sure whether Michelle's instruction extinguished her nervousness or heightened it. She grinned and turned back. "If you want, I should study tonight but..." The two women shared a brief glance. Michelle snorted and looked away.  
"It's really up to you. I mean, if you want to stay you're welcome, I don't mind if you have something more important to go do somewhere else. I mean, whatever."  
Maureen frowned and took a step toward the door. "I guess I should--"  
"Only there's this new album by _[The Bumblehums](http://youtu.be/vs1Ng8Z1P7Y) _ and I know they're only a tribute act but they do a real great job with all those bees."

Maureen stopped and looked back over her shoulder.  
"Well, if you're sure it's okay? I don't want to stop you from whatever you were doing."  
Michelle nodded, forcing her mouth into an upward curl that didn't quite fit. She rolled her eyes and relaxed her mouth. "Look, it would be cool if you'd hang out. There are some paper cups in that cupboard," she pointed to Maureen's left, "you flip the sign, I'll put music on. We can sit around and complain about how awful it is and how folks will love it, or how great it is and how folks won't get it. If you want to."

Maureen flipped the sign to make it say the store was closed. The first deafening, buzzing strains of the music drowned out the sound of Michelle opening and pouring wine. Maureen put hands over her ears. Michelle laughed, reached over from where she sat perched on the counter, and turned the volume down.  
"Sorry, I have it set to that volume to put customers off asking to hear the shit they like."  
Maureen uncovered her ears. "What if I asked to play something?"  
Michelle did her eye-smile. "You're not a customer so that would be okay I guess. Do you want me to put something on?"  
"Something that isn't this?" Maureen raised her eyebrows and pointed at the CD player.  
Michelle tightened her lips. "I guess." Her hand reached for the stop button.  
Maureen's hand on Michelle's arm prevented her. "No! I mean, I'm sorry, that was rude. I, um, I don't hate this."  
Maureen's hand slipped to rest on Michelle's. Michelle looked at their hands. She blinked. "Are you sure you want this?"  
"Yeah, It's different, not at all what I expected." Maureen looked down. "Um, is the wine okay?"  
Michelle relaxed back, reluctantly breaking her tentative hand-hold with Maureen. She sipped the deep red liquid and nodded. Maureen smiled and leaned against the counter beside Michelle.

The CD played its fifth track. Maureen poured their refills and wandered around the store, commenting on music she liked or did not like or had no opinion about. Michelle felt a strange compulsion to agree, but resisted. She hopped down from the counter.  
"This one has a great beat. I bet you can feel it although most people can't."  
Michelle watched as Maureen set down her paper cup, put her head on one side and listened. Maureen closed her eyes.  
"You're right! oh..." Michelle took Maureen's hands and guided her into a waltz stance. They stepped to three-four time around the display cases and shelves, smiling and giggling until the track slowed to its conclusion.

Michelle was silent, watching Maureen. Maureen returned her gaze with fluttery eyes that darted around but always settled again on Michelle.  
Michelle dared raise her hand from Maureen's waist to her face, stroking a cheek, pushing fingers gently through her hair. Maureen stared back at Michelle, wine-stained lips parted as if about to speak, her hand on Michelle's shoulder, moving in...

The customer siren made them jump.  
"Hey you're open! That's great! I'm looking for... looking... um..."  
Cecil's voice trailed off as he saw the women spring apart.  
"Oh! Hi Maureen, it has been a long time. I heard you got a new job. Um, well done! Interning sets you up for whatever life might throw at you, I guess! Ha!"

Maureen gathered her things from the counter. Michelle scowled at Cecil.  
"Hey, if you want the latest Bumblehums you'll have to wait but I have that Woody Guthrie single you ordered. Vinyl, right?"  
Cecil nodded. Mmm yes, I do love that crackle and hiss, I love the warmth and depth you get from a decent seven inch."  
Maureen closed her eyes and shook her head to dispel the unwanted image in her brain. She smiled at Michelle, scowled at Cecil, said goodnight and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *would not like to meet well-endowed single male, 26 years old, no strings attached, for party and play


	3. It's not what you say

Maureen got home, threw her things on her bed, stared down her homework assignments and rubbed her eyes. She sat at her little desk, looked around her and pulled out a hard-won library book, a pen and a notebook. Almost half a bottle of wine made her drowsy but the walk home cleared Maureen's head. She opened her books, lifted her pen and let her eyes skim the text for a few minutes, reading and re-reading the same paragraph. Maureen closed her books and her eyes and scowled. With effort, she pushed her thoughts away from her old boss at the radio station and pulled her attention to the record store lady. 

_Michelle._ Maureen thought the name, lips moving in silence, wondering how it would sound aloud in the space between them. She spoke quietly, _"Michelle,"_ and opened her eyes but no amount of wishing would move Maureen back to that dance, that sensation of a soft hand on her cheek and fingers in her hair, that moment just before she almost leaned forward and... _Cecil Fucking Palmer!_ Maureen grabbed her phone. She clutched it tight while indecision shook her. Send one message or two? One. Which? Breathe. Think. What would Dana do? 

Certainly not _that._ Maureen deleted the angry text she composed for Cecil. Instead she typed: _Sorry I left in a hurry, really need to do my homework._  
After a few minutes, she added: _I like hanging out with you._  
Maureen turned her phone on silent and shoved it under her pillow. She returned her attention to her college assignment. Maureen lasted fifteen minutes of trying to read whilst glancing at her phone's hiding place. She gave up on her assignment and took out her phone. She had a voicemail.  
_"Ugh I got your voicemail. I hate voicemail. I never know what to say. Call me if you want but you don't, like, have to."_

Maureen hit _call._  
"Oh hi this is Michelle at Dark Owl..."  
"Hi, Michelle?"  
"...records. Leave a message but if you want something you'll have to come to the shop because I totally won't call you back, like, ever. The music you want is so obvious we've probably not got it."  
_beep_  
Maureen ended the call without leaving a message. She frowned for a moment before calling back.  
"Oh hi this is Michelle at Dark Owl."  
Maureen's frown deepened.  
"Hi? Is that Maureen? You don't have to talk but that's kinda the point of a phone call."  
"Oh! Uh..." Maureen shook her carefully planned voicemail message out of her head. "Sorry. I was going to leave a voicemail message but then you answered. I didn't expect that."  
"You want me to hang up so you can call back and me not answer?"  
"No! No." Maureen rubbed her free hand through her hair. "I, um, I wanted to ask if I could hang out again sometime when I have less homework." Maureen gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. She stood with the phone clenched tight in one hand and the other hand making a fist by her side. "It's fine if you say no."  
After a few long seconds, Michelle replied. "You can if you want. Come tomorrow and bring your stuff if you need to study."

Maureen chose her outfit carefully the next day. After her shift organising clothing racks and finding sizes, smiling until her face ached, Maureen went home to shower and change. She picked out a short patterned dress and plain leggings, discarded the wedge sandals that made her legs look longer in favour of flat pumps and added a bright scarf in her hair and a plain blazer. She packed her textbook into its regulation brown paper covers, slung it into her bag and set off. 

Michelle looked up as Maureen set off the customer alert siren. Maureen flinched at the sudden noise. Michelle reached under the counter to turn it off.  
"Hey, flip the sign." Michelle pointed at the door.  
Maureen stared. "Flip the...? Oh, that sign." Maureen turned the card in the glass door. "You want me to...?" She touched the snick on the lock.  
Michelle nodded. "Sure. It's not like I have any important customers tonight."  
Maureen let the lock click into place. "I brought some college work in case you were real busy but it's not urgent yet."  
Michelle shrugged. "You can do that if you want. I should cash up if I'm closing. Wanna sit in the back-room while I finish up here? Or I could use some help sorting out the stock, if you don't hate that idea."  
"Sorting out the stock?" Maureen nodded. She dumped her bag and jacket in the little back-room. "I can help, just tell me what to do."

Michelle smiled. "I need the LPs arranged chronologically. I'm sick of idiots coming in and asking why the Country is mixed in with the Western or why I don't have separate Punk and New Wave sections, or whether to look for Billie Holiday under B or H. From now on, customers can look by release date."  
Maureen took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "That's a huge job, Michelle!"  
Michelle met Maureen's astonished gaze. "I know, right? But you could just go do your homework if you'd rather."  
"No, I'll help out if that's what you want. Where should I start?" Maureen looked around the store. She pointed to the nearest rack of vintage vinyl. "Here?"  
Michelle shook her head. "You know I'm totally kidding, right?" She smiled and looked away.

Maureen frowned and stared at the rack of LPs in front of her. "You're kidding. Oh. Right."  
She put down the half dozen record sleeves in her hand and walked past Michelle into the back-room, picked up her bag and jacket and walked past Michelle again. "Look, I guess this isn't--"  
"Why do you hate Cecil?" Michelle almost snapped out the words.  
Maureen frowned, but she stopped. "What? Why do you care?"  
Michelle spoke so fast she merged her words. "Yesterdayweweredancing and itwasrealnice." She stopped and took a breath, gripped the counter, slowed down. "Cecil arrived and you left like you can't stand to be in the same room as him. Stay and tell me why. If you want." 

Maureen turned, scowling. Her face softened when she saw Michelle watching her, wary, head down and eyes flicking up to her and away again, hands clasping the edge of the counter. Maureen gripped her bag and shifted her weight from foot to foot.  
"You really want to know?"  
Michelle shrugged and nodded.  
Maureen sighed. "You better finish here first because if I am going to talk about my ex-boss we should be somewhere with fewer breakables." She walked toward the counter and stopped opposite Michelle.  
Michelle glanced up. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I said it so you'd not leave right away. We can totally talk about other stuff." She looked back at the cash on the counter, swept it into a bag and secured it in the safe in the back-room. "Too late for the bank tonight anyway, I can do it in the morning. Wanna go out?"  
Maureen nodded. "Yeah. Gotta be somewhere free though."  
Michelle took another deep breath and smiled. "The park's not far. You won't need your jacket, it's warm out tonight."

The women walked side by side in silence until they reached the gates to Grove Park. Maureen slowed her pace and stole a quick look at Michelle. Michelle smiled at her. Maureen rolled her eyes.  
"Okay. Palmer was my boss when I was an intern at the radio station. Being his intern was way too stressful. One day it's _Maureen would you read over my slashfic?_ then the next, _hey get me some interdimensional juice_ and you end up in some otherworld desert with that scientist boyfriend of his. Or he sends you on some errand that sounds normal but... ugh, he gets through interns real fast. I left after the third time everyone thought I was dead."  
Maureen didn't realise how much her voice had raised or that she had stopped and clenched her fists until she felt Michelle's hand on her arm.  
"He thought you were a great intern. He said you had a real talent for surviving in community radio."  
Maureen frowned. "You guys talked about me?"  
Michelle slipped her arm through the space between Maureen's elbow and her waist. "Only for a couple minutes. You'd just left so I asked Cecil why. He hangs out at the store sometimes and we talk about the weather. He said you hate him." They continued a slow stroll, arm in arm. Maureen felt Michelle's hand slip down to clasp hers.  
"After the last near-death experience I left home. My folks couldn't take another funeral."  
Michelle squeezed Maureen's hand. "So you live on your own too? I like to be independent although it sucks sometimes. What's your place like?"  
Maureen shrugged. "Small and messy."

Michelle pulled Maureen by the hand over to a bench in the shade of a tree. They sat and chatted. Michelle talked about gigs she had been to or wanted to go to. Maureen talked about her part time job and about college. Michelle laughed at Maureen's descriptions of customers' demands for clothing styles that would disguise their figures.  
"Ugh why erase your features? Why choose to fit some bland fashion magazine style when you can... well." Michelle indicated her outfit. Maureen grinned.  
"You certainly have style. You look great, you look like you don't care how you look but everything kind of hangs together."  
Michelle frowned. "Do I? I just threw this on."  
Maureen smiled. "Whatever. Palmer manages it too, do you guys discuss clothes?"  
Michelle nodded. "Yeah." She giggled. "We go shopping sometimes and dare each other to wear stuff. I'd like to go shopping with you next time you need a new outfit. I bet I could find you something... not like that."

Michelle's hands flew to her mouth. Maureen snapped.  
"What now? First you make me feel like an idiot in your store then you start on the way I dress?"  
Michelle shook her head. "I didn't mean to sound like that! I'm real bad at this. Ugh, things come out all wrong and I don't know what to say. I should get back to the store and finish the accounts."  
Michelle stood. Maureen got up too and leaned close to Michelle's ear.  
"Do we have anything here? I mean, do you even like me?"  
Michelle turned her head to meet Maureen's gaze. She felt her stomach lurch and her arm felt weak as she slipped it around Maureen's waist. Michelle closed her eyes, willing her heart to slow down as Maureen turned in to her embrace. Arms enveloped Michelle's shoulders and a voice spoke in her ear. "Michelle?"  
Michelle dropped her head into Maureen's shoulder. "Yes."

Maureen and Michelle stood in the shade, holding on to each other until people arrived to use the bench, chatter and laughter disturbing their bubble of nervous affection. Maureen broke first, standing back and taking Michelle's hand to lead her out of the park. Soon they were back at Dark Owl. Michelle put her key in the lock and turned to frown at Maureen.  
"Are you going to come in?"  
"I left my stuff, so I guess I am."  
Michelle pushed the door open, walked through and held it for Maureen.  
"Oh. Okay. I have my accounts and I guess you have college stuff so... whatever."  
Maureen held eye contact with Michelle, waited for the door to click shut then reached over Michelle's shoulder to lock it. Michelle stared up at Maureen, an unspoken _oh_ on her lips.  
Maureen smiled. "Is this okay?"  
"Uh-huh." Michelle smiled back.  
"You're not going to poke fun at me or criticise?"  
"No, but be patient if I say something moronic, like _are you going to kiss me this time?"_  
Maureen leaned forward and brushed Michelle's lips with her own then stood up straight again. She stroked Michelle's hair. "Is this what you want, Michelle?"


	4. Friends.

Michelle, stomach fluttering and heart racing again, wrapped her arms around Maureen's neck and stood on tiptoes to kiss her. "Yeah, I guess."  
"Me too." Maureen giggled. Michelle smiled and relinquished her grip. Maureen stroked Michelle's face. "You have a lovely smile. I bet hardly anyone knows when you're smiling but your eyes show it."  
Michelle took Maureen's hand. "How long can you stay? Come up if you want. See my place properly."  
"Oh?" Maureen checked the time on her phone. "It's not late, I can stay. You could finish your accounts and I'll do my homework. Then we can hang out for a while before I have to go home."  
Michelle nodded. "Okay, go upstairs and find somewhere comfortable. There's stuff in the fridge if you're hungry." 

Michelle led Maureen into the back-room and pointed upstairs. Maureen went up. Michelle opened the safe, took out the bag of today's takings and tipped it out on the floor. She sorted and counted, wrote cramped figures in her cash book. She sighed. There wasn't much. Michelle checked over her figures for the month so far, doing mental arithmetic and projecting to the end of the month. Rent was covered, bills were covered and there would be just enough to put in the tax account if she was careful. Michelle sighed again, took out float money for the morning and put the rest back in the safe. 

Upstairs, Michelle found Maureen sitting at the kitchen table with her books open and a glass of water in her hand. Michelle took a clean glass and poured tap water into it.  
"Hey I finished. What's your assignment?"  
Maureen groaned. "I don't even... Ugh. It's an essay on the City Council. I can't find any information. I don't know what's worse, handing in a single paragraph or making it all up."  
Michelle sat opposite Maureen and frowned. "I have an idea you're totally gonna hate."  
"Oh?" Maureen looked up. "What is it? Any idea would be better than this."  
Michelle smiled. "You could call the Mayor."  
Maureen froze. "Call Da... Mayor Cardinal?"  
Michelle ploughed on. "You know her, right, she was an intern too and she was in the otherworldly desert hellscape same time as you. I know because I listen to Cecil's show and when we hung out he told me how much he missed Dana. And you, he was glad Dana and you found each other in that other dimension or dog park or whatever it was. You could totally talk to her. How awesome would it be if your essay was, like, an interview with the Mayor?"  
Maureen sat like stone and glass. "Call Dana, you think I can call Dana?"  
Michelle nodded. "Yu-huh. If you got friends in high places--"  
"I can't call Dana." Maureen put down her pen and closed her books, voice flat. "We're not friends, exactly. It would be weird." She packed her books into her bag and sat back.

"Oh." Michelle sat back too. "Why would it be weird?"  
Maureen put her elbows on the table and leaned forward. Michelle watched, frowning, leaned forward to mirror Maureen’s position as Maureen sank her head onto her hands.  
"Ugh. I may as well tell you. We were friends in that desert. I really looked up to Dana, you know? She organised the army of masked warriors after she persuaded them to help us, and she got the angels to cooperate with them too and... and she was so _nice_ about it! She rescued that weird scientist boyfriend of Cecil's and she had this way of just making people do stuff. Stuff they never thought they could. She knew what I could do, the fading in and out of realities, before I even tried to figure it out."

Michelle sighed. "But you got over her, right? You're totally over her?"  
Maureen nodded. "Yeah. Ugh, I had such a crush! She let me down gently but I got angry at her for being nice."  
Michelle snorted. "I totally get that! Did you ask her out?"  
"No." Maureen smiled. "I dropped a lot of hints but it didn't get that far. She just talked about how we were _friends_ and how great it was to have _friends_ who were uncomplicated and she hoped we'd still be _friends_ after we got home. It sounds like nothing but she had a way of saying _friends_ that was kinda final."  
Michelle sucked in a breath. "Like, _hey let's be friends_?" Maureen nodded. Michelle pulled her lips into a tight line, shook her head and spoke under her breath. _What. A. Bitch._  
Maureen snorted and giggled. "You can't call her that! She just wasn't interested. It wasn’t her fault."  
Michelle smiled. "I still totally think you should call her. Or call Cecil and ask him to call her for you."  
Maureen rolled her eyes. "Call Cecil? Right. Not gonna happen."  
Michelle raised her eyebrows. "So you do hate your old boss and your ex-friend so much you won't ask for help when you need it?"

Michelle laughed at Maureen's expression then stood, leaned across the small table and kissed her. Maureen rolled her eyes and took out her phone. Michelle watched as Maureen typed on the tiny keypad.  
“So?” Michelle tilted her head and raised her eyebrows.  
Maureen put her phone on the table. “I sent the Mayor a text on her old, personal number. She probably doesn’t have it any more, it’ll be all official-channels-this and talk-to-my-people-that I bet.”  
Michelle nodded and stepped around the table to Maureen's side in the tiny kitchen. “Yeah, it probably wasn’t worth it but at least you’re gonna find that out.”  
Maureen smiled at Michelle. “I guess. But I didn’t come round to talk about an ex-crush.”

Michelle felt Maureen’s hand take hers and a gentle pull towards the seated woman. She allowed herself to be persuaded to sit in Maureen’s lap. The moulded plastic chair groaned in protest. Michelle giggled and stood up. She tugged at Maureen’s hand.  
“If we’re gonna make out, the other room is better.”  
Maureen grinned and stood up. Michelle felt Maureen’s hands first holding hers, then stroking slowly up her arms to her shoulders. Michelle slipped her hands around Maureen’s waist and tilted her head up to find Maureen’s lips with her own. Michelle closed her eyes and let the pleasant tingle in the pit of her stomach develop into a yearning ache lower down as Maureen caught Michelle’s lower lip and teased with the tip of her tongue.  
Michelle kissed back, sliding one hand up Maureen's back and around the side of her ribcage, under her arm, pausing for permission by the soft bulge of Maureen's breast. Maureen wove her long fingers into Michelle’s hair, kissed harder but then pulled back. Something behind her was buzzing.

Michelle relaxed her hold on Maureen. “You gonna answer that?”  
Maureen shook her head. “Way too busy to take calls.”  
“It could be the Mayor.”  
The buzzing stopped. Maureen kissed Michelle once more, gently. “You don't mind if I…?” Maureen pointed at her phone.  
“Suit yourself.” Michelle shrugged. Maureen looked at her call log.  
“Um, that was Dana! She left voicemail. Hold on…”  
Dana’s voice played over the speaker. 

_Hi Maureen, it’s so nice to hear from you! I guess we lost touch because you went back to interning and I was suddenly mayor. Um, I’d hate to lose another friend and I’d love to meet up. Call me back?”_

Michelle nodded. “I totally see what you mean about the way she says _friend_. Gonna call her back? Now? You totally should but, huh, you don’t have to.”  
Maureen frowned at her phone. She played Dana’s message again and hit _call._ Michelle patted Maureen’s arm on her way out of the kitchen to give the illusion of privacy in the little apartment above the record store. From the sofa, Michelle heard half of the conversation.

_Hi, Mayor..._  
_Okay, hi... Dana. Thanks for call..._  
_No it's fine. Really. Can I interview you? It's for a college assignment?_  
_Great! It's due on Wednesday and I can't find any information in my approved books._  
_Ha ha no, just about the City Council and how... yeah... uh-huh... that sort of thing._  
_Tomorrow? You're not too busy?_  
_Okay I can meet you there._  
_Uh, me too, kinda. Bye._

Maureen appeared in the doorway."I'm meeting Dana tomorrow morning for breakfast at the Moonlite All Nite Diner. You know it?"  
Michelle sneered. "Well du-uh! Everyone knows the Moonlite!"  
"It's an early meeting. She's real busy." Maureen disappeared back into the kitchen and Michelle heard the sound of books being stuffed into a bag.  
She didn't get up. "Oh. Well I guess you better go then."  
Maureen leaned through the living room door. "You don't mind?"  
"What about?" Michelle's face stayed carefully neutral.  
"Oh? Nothing I guess." She sighed. "I'll let myself out." Maureen thundered down the stairs. Michelle thundered after her.  
"Gotta do the alarm."  
"Oh? Yeah."  
"Uh-huh." Michelle opened the door and held it for Maureen. Maureen hesitated half in and half out. She looked back.  
"Okay, um, goodnight then."  
"Goodnight. Have a nice time tomorrow morning."

Michelle closed the door and pulled down the blind. She rested her forehead on the mahogany frame, closed her eyes, bit her lip and refused to cry.


	5. Coffee

Maureen turned back but the door was closed and locked. She stood with her hand raised but didn't knock, unaware that she frowned at polished mahogany only inches from where Michelle fretted. Instead she placed a hand on the warm wooden frame before hurrying home, thinking up sensible questions to ask and rummaging in boxes dragged out from under her bed, trying to remember where she stowed the NVCR portable recording kit she knew she really ought to have returned by now.

After an hour of drafting questions and fretting about Michelle's hot moment of contact then sudden coolness, Maureen went to bed and lay awake. She picked up her phone and wrote a goodnight text but deleted it when she noticed the time. Her mind wandered, tired but not yet sleepy, to what might have happened if her phone had been off completely after texting Dana. Maureen imagined the hand at the side of her ribcage. She could have pulled away from the kiss long enough to take Michelle's hand and slide it across to cup her breast, she might have leaned in and kissed Michelle, eyes closed, smiling, sliding her own hands down over Michelle's stylish ass, sinking down to support Michelle's weight and hoist her up to perch on the worktop. Maureen smiled as she imagined stroking a hand up Michelle's thigh...

She must have dozed off still thinking about Michelle. Dana entered Maureen's almost-dream, standing behind her, politely clearing her throat. Dream-Michelle beckoned dream-Dana over and Maureen was made to listen to a running commentary about all her faults while her ex-crush and current crush sneered and kissed.

Maureen gasped awake. She lay for a moment, blinking away the cause of her unease. She reached for her phone, trying to guess the time and prepare for either a long night or an early morning. She sighed and got up to get a glass of water, taking her phone with her. Maureen composed another text.

_Hi Michelle, I want to bring you coffee in the morning before I meet Dana. Tell me what you'd like before 7.30. I won't bother you if you don't reply._

She thumbed _send_ , put the phone down and headed into the shower room. By the time Maureen emerged feeling more awake she had two messages.  
... _You don't have to bother._  
... _I hate coffee. Bring something else._  
Maureen laughed and looked in her closet for her favourite leggings and a shirt Dana once complimented.

Maureen went into the coffee shop nearest Dark Owl Records. The barista smiled at her.  
"What can I getcha? You look like an iced latte kinda person."  
Maureen shuddered. "Uh, no thanks, um, does Michelle from Dark Owl come here?" The barista nodded. "Okay, can I have two of whatever she usually orders?"  
The barista shrugged. "Sure thing, sweetheart. Two lavender soy smoothies with cardamom sprinkles coming right up."  
Maureen frowned. "I don't see that on your menu board."  
"Well, du-u-uh!" The barista grinned and winked. "You've, like, _met_ Michelle, yeah? It's from the secret menu. Be a couple minutes."  
The barista wrote Maureen's order on a post it and handed it through a hatch at the back. Maureen sat down to wait, looking at the _Dark Owl Records_ window across the street. The door blind lifted and Michelle's face appeared for a second. Maureen almost waved but Michelle vanished back into the dimness of the shop.

Five minutes later, Maureen balanced two cardboard cups in one hand and knocked on the door. Michelle opened it and held it wide. Maureen smiled.  
"Hi, good morning. I brought you this." She held out one of the cups, "You like lavender, right?"  
Michelle took the cup and looked away, bur Maureen saw her smile.  
"Thanks, you didn't need to do that. I'd invite you upstairs but I didn't bother tidying up."  
"Okay, I only stopped by to say good morning. I don't want to be the kind of person you feel like you have to tidy up for." Maureen sighed. "Maybe I should go."  
Michelle frowned. "Uh wait u-up. Have you heard the new album from Pink Floyd? It's a live recording from their super secret Radon Canyon gig couple years back. It's totally analogue and retro with real experimental sound dynamics. They didn't wanna release it but I got a few copies on tape."  
Maureen smiled and shook her head as she took a sip of her drink. She swallowed quickly.  
"It's so awesome, you have to hear it. I'll put it on." Michelle unlocked the display case on the counter beside the till and lifted out a plastic cassette case. She popped open the player on the shelf, inserted the C-45 with a clatter and slammed it shut again. Maureen reached up to click _play_.

After eight seconds of hiss, rhythmic, pulsing sounds came from the speakers around the shop. Michelle smiled and adjusted the volume to a more tolerable level. "You like it?"  
Maureen nodded. "I guess, it's kinda compelling."  
Michelle laughed. "Yeah, they used some kind of psycho-suggestive effect. There's a warning in the sleeve notes not to listen for more than six minutes at a time and it comes with the cutest little first aid kit ever. You wanna see that?"  
Maureen nodded again and reached up to turn the cassette player off before any lasting damage occurred. "Sure. Your drink okay?"  
Michelle made a face. "No it's terrible but nobody else ever orders this."  
"Exclusive, huh?" Maureen laughed. "Hey, I ordered one, does that mean you have to change your _usual?"_

Maureen put her head to one side. "I guess not, as long as you keep quiet about the secret menu. It's time I started ordering something different anyway. Did the barista offer you iced latte?" Maureen nodded, Michelle sniggered. "Yeah, he uses that as a pickup line in the pathetic hope that one day someone will be like," Michelle mock-fanned herself and rolled her eyes, _"Ohmycloud that's totally my drink, how did you know?_ then he puts his number on their cup. I know that because I told Cecil and he totally did it once but he didn't call." She smiled at Maureen and pointed at her drink. "At least he said he didn't. You totally hate that?" Maureen laughed, nodded and handed her cup over to Michelle.  
"He ever use that pickup line on you?"  
"All. The. Time. I think he wants invites to all the real hip music events in town. Sometimes he delivers my order if I'm too busy with customers."  
"Huh." Maureen watched Michelle's face carefully. "I think I'm a little jealous."  
Michelle met Maureen's gaze. "Says the woman going to meet the woman she _used_ to have a crush on."

Maureen sighed. "Is that it? Is that why you went all weird on me last night? It's just breakfast."  
"But you're interested, right?" Michelle leaned on the counter and looked up at her wall displays.  
"No." Maureen leaned opposite Michelle. "I would have been, maybe, but something happened that made me see that Dana was never my type. I thought she was for, ugh, the longest time. Months. A year maybe. But she's not and I don't want to be anything more or less than her friend. Not really. I met someone else, someone amazing."  
"But you thought about it?" Michelle looked at Maureen, appraising.  
Maureen shrugged and grinned. "Oh come on, Michelle, have you _seen_ her? She's _gorgeous!_ Hey, come with me. You can do the recording while I ask questions and you'll see there no reason to be je--"  
Michelle scowled. "I am not jealous!" Her face softened, she looked down and shook her head. "Come round after if you're not too busy with your homework. Uh, that is, if..."  
Maureen smiled. "If what?"  
Michelle shrugged. "If your amazing new crush is okay with it. Do what you want."  
Maureen leaned over the counter and kissed Michelle. "Hmm, I think she won't mind. Uh, you do know I'm talking about you, right?"

Michelle smiled. "I guess. I have to open the shop soon and let customers in." Michelle rolled her eyes. "I bet they totally missed the latest indie [release ](http://youtu.be/X7LQmUC62yU) and ask for whatever's in the charts. Huh. I should make some new charts, top twenty things that don't _totally_ suck."

Maureen laughed. "Yeah. When you do, I want to hear all of it. Uh, I better go, you sure you won't come with me? Dana's buying breakfast."  
Michelle shook her head and examined the most fascinating corner of the counter. "Nah, gotta open the shop. You go have fu-un, if you wa-ant."  
Michelle followed Maureen to the door and opened it for her, flipped the closed sign to open. Maureen paused too far inside the shop to have the door closed on her again. She turned, looked up and down the street, looked behind her at the coffee shop where the barista grinned and waved.

Maureen dropped her bag, cupped Michelle's face in both hands and kissed her.


	6. Looking for something special?

Michelle touched her lips and allowed herself to giggle as she returned to the counter to choose music to serenade the silent aluminium coated plastic, magnetic tape and pressed vinyl. She chose two tracks. [One ](http://youtu.be/-YriinrRGug) for the empty shop of which she considered herself a component, and another to swap in if a customer dared disturb her.

The shop needed attention. Michelle put her track on repeat and started tidying. She tapped and swayed around the vinyl, looking for twelve-inch singles and EPs mixed in with the LPs, occasionally extracting out-of-place sleeves, shaking her head, sighing and putting them aside. She worked methodically from the door to the counter, one display rack at a time, sorting and cleaning and moving on. 

As Michelle reached the counter, the customer alarm siren cut into her good mood. She deactivated it, rolled her eyes and sighed as loudly as possible before turning to see who had spoiled her morning. It was a man wearing a mid-thigh length white cotton coat with a singed sleeve. Michelle thought his hair was pretty good, considering, but he was showing his teeth. She frowned, waiting to see what he did next. The man stared back at her, pushing one hand through his thick, dark wavy hair, and spoke. He said, "Umm?" 

Michelle turned away, took the CD out of the player and replaced it with another. She checked her phone, looking for the photo Cecil insisted on sharing with her one drunken, lonely evening. Michelle smiled without looking at the scientist again, reached up to start the [ track ](http://youtu.be/nMWGXt979yg) she had selected for customers, and turned to face him again.

"Hi. I'm Michelle. What are you looking for?"  
He said it again. "Umm..."  
"Are you looking for anything special? I have some _very_ special..."  
"I want to purchase some music as a... a gift. For someone." The scientist shuffled his weight from foot to foot, eyes darting around the displays.  
"Oh. Is it for Cecil?" Michelle stood firmly planted, head to one side, unblinking.  
"What? Umm..." Michelle thought Carlos kind of melted down an inch. He relaxed his shoulders, dropped his head a little and looked at her straight. "Ugh, has his show gone out early? Does _everybody_ know we had a row?"  
Michelle softened by a fraction. "I didn't before but I do now. You _are_ Carlos the Scientist, right? Your boyfriend... he _is_ still you boyfriend, uh? ...told me so much about you while you were gone. So _much._ " Michelle rolled her eyes again and settled her gaze back on the reddening man. He smiled, sort of.  
Carlos shoved both hands in his lab coat pockets and shrugged. "Cecil is still my boyfriend. But I think it would be a good idea for me to show my, umm, appreciation of his continued and congenial presence in my life. He likes certain patterns of beats and tones, I want to get him something that will positively affect his mood when he listens to it."

Michelle pulled her lips straight. "How bad?"  
Carlos frowned. "What do you mean? I want--"  
"The gift. Is it a standard _saw this and thought of you so I got it for you_ cute-unplanned gift; or is it an _I know you like this band so I found a rare copy of their live album that got deleted_ sorry-for-pissing-you-off gift; or _I checked your entire music collection and there's this band you've probably never heard of but I think you'll like their stuff because they sound a bit like the bastard children of these two other bands you love_ please-love-me-again gift?"  
Carlos nodded. "That one." 

Michelle frowned and stared and _hmm_ -ed. "Okay, I'll help you but only because if I don't Cecil will come round to make me listen and I have other plans for later. What is in Cecil's music collection?"  
Carlos's mouth dropped open for a second. "I, umm, I don't... I thought you'd know. He always buys his music here."  
"He does?" Michelle couldn't catch her smile in time. "You know about the Woody Guthrie? And..." Michelle slapped the counter top, making Carlos jump. "I think I know what he'd like."

Carlos stared at the cassette. "Pink Floyd? Huh. He has a thing about cassettes. Maybe a CD?"  
Michelle reluctantly took the cassette back and put it on the shelf. She rubbed her eyes and scratched her head. "Oh, shame. They're very _now._ What about a ten-inch vinyl..."  
Carlos held up a mini CD case. "Do you think he'd like this one?"  
Michelle shrugged. "Multimedia mini discs are pretty rare these days so it has exclusivity whilst being totally passé I suppose. Let me see-ee-ee?"  
Carlos handed the sleeve over. Michelle smirked and nodded. "Oh yes. [ That.](http://youtu.be/nht1DRL0sJc) You want it wrapped?" Carlos nodded as Michelle took his cash. "I don't do bows and ribbons, go next door for wrapping."  
Carlos left, banging the door behind him, and Michelle got to work on the cassette racks.

===========

Maureen slid into the booth indicated, the one with the _Reserved by order of Mayor Cardinal_ on a folded-over card propped up by the condiments rack. She was about two minutes early. Coffee appeared, a mug quietly slid in front of her. Maureen turned to say thank you but her server had already scurried away.

Dana arrived a few minutes late, slipped into the seat opposite Maureen with an apology, a head-shake and a laugh. She made a face at the reserved sign.  
"Oh I asked them not to do that, I said to the manager that I'm not really on official business, just out for breakfast with a friend. Oh!" Coffee appeared in front of Dana, with two opened menus. "The service is really good in here, don't you think? I remember it used to be real slow sometimes."  
Maureen smiled and looked at her menu. "Yeah, it's never this fast when I'm here without the Mayor."  
Dana's hand flew to her mouth. "I did not even consider... Maureen, you must tell me if I have a distorted view like that! I'm not dressed in my mayoral robes or anything so I thought I would be incognito."  
Maureen laughed. "Is this like the story that odd little scientist told us in the desert where the Queen of somewhere-or-other thinks all schools and hospitals smell of fresh paint?"  
Dana grinned. "Probably. Should we order? You interview me while we wait and then we can catch up while we eat? It has been a long time."  
Maureen nodded. "I know, I can hardly believe we left that desert hellscape over three years ago. You've done so much since then and I've... oh here it is." Maureen put the microphone on the table between them. Dana laughed.  
"You borrowed the recording one, not the live broadcast one?" Maureen and Dana both giggled. "Clouds and mountains, remember that time Cecil got them mixed up when he interviewed Carlos on the anniversary of the opening of the opera house?"

Maureen controlled her amusement enough to order more coffee and Dana ordered a Dawn Chorus Burrito Breakfast for two, hold the OJ. Maureen flinched at the mention of orange juice. Dana reached across the table and took Maureen's hand. "Sorry."  
Maureen smiled and moved her arms off the table. "It's fine. Okay," she switched on the microphone. "Can you describe how the City Council passes new laws?"

By the time their food arrived, Maureen decided that although she knew no more than before about the operation of the City Council, at least she had enough material for her assignment. She put the microphone away and sat back. "You must be busy. I shouldn't take up your time."  
Dana sighed. "Ugh, everyone says that." She sat back and sipped her coffee. Dana leaned forward again. "Can't we forget for a while that I'm Mayor Cardinal and I can be Dana again?"  
Maureen smiled and leaned forward too, looking down and shaking her head slowly. "I can't forget, but I can try to ignore it if that helps."  
Dana smiled. "Thank you." She picked up her fork and prodded at breakfast. "So, how are you?"  
"I'm... I'm actually good." Maureen looked surprised at her own admission. "College is okay, my job is usually not fatal and... and I kind of have a girlfriend, I think. Maybe. Sorta."  
"O-oh?" Dana grinned. "Anyone I know?"  
Maureen laughed and slit open the burrito to investigate its contents. "Oh I doubt it. Maybe from your days as an intern, you might have met her. You know the record shop on--"  
Dana coughed and covered her mouth, eyes watering with the effort of not choking. She swallowed and downed half a glass of water. "It's _Michelle?_ Blinking lights, Maureen! How did you pull Michelle?"

Maureen frowned. Dana shook her head and held out a hand, palm down, waving it back and forth.  
"Oh no! That came out all wrong! I meant that Michelle is real diffic... um... she's a bit tempera... Umm..."  
Maureen smiled. "She sure is. When I think about her I feel all... well. You probably know what I mean. Anyone in your life?"  
Dana rolled her eyes. "I don't really have time for much of a personal life. I see my family, I see Cecil from time to time and Josie books at least three appointments every month just to make sure I'm eating properly. I'm not looking for a boyfriend or a girlfriend or whatever."  
Maureen finished a forkful of pinto beans. "Oh? You are Night Vale's most eligible Mayor. You must have had offers."  
"I guess, although I can't tell for sure whether someone is flirting or being friendly." Dana smiled. "I really am not interested in a romantic relationship. My mother says I'm being selfish, that I just don't want to have to consider someone else's feelings all the time." She shrugged. "Perhaps she's right. But it would not be fair on someone if I was to get into a relationship with them and not have the time or the emotional energy to do all the things people in relationships do. I mean, look at Cecil and Carlos. They're so... so..." Dana waved her fork then dived back into the guts of the burrito.  
"Emetic?" Maureen supplied. Dana snorted.

===========

Michelle saw Maureen arrive and thumped the disarm button on the customer alarm before Maureen pushed her way through the door. She called out, pretending not to look up as the door bumped shut. "Hey, are you looking for anything special or just browsing to piss me off?"  
Maureen laughed. "I'm looking for something special."  
"Oh? The latest releases are here," Michelle pointed at the wall display beside her, "but the real precious vintage stuff is harder to find. It's all mixed up."  
"That's fine." Maureen walked to the counter and put down her bag. "I can take time to make sure I sort it out and find what I want."  
Michelle looked up. "Oh, yeah?"  
Maureen sniggered. "Yeah. Uh, do you wanna, maybe, close up and take a half day or, like, a _really_ long lunch break?"


	7. Forward.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut.

Michelle sighed. "No, ugh, I have to stay open and sell stuff. That's how retail works, du-uh!"  
"Oh. Sorry." Maureen sighed too. "Can I stay here while I write up Da... my interview with Mayor Cardinal? I won't get in your way."  
Michelle nodded. "Whatever. Use the back room or make yourself comfortable upstairs if you want to. If you like I can read it for you later. But you don't have to let me see it if you don't want. Up to you."  
Maureen smiled then tightened her lips and dropped her eyebrows a notch. "Um, I might have been a bit premature, I dunno, but..." She tailed off as she slunk into the back room.  
Michelle made rare, sustained eye contact with the face peering out from the door behind the counter. "Bu-u-ut?"  
"I might have told Dana that you're, um, maybe sorta my girlfriend." Maureen bolted upstairs.  
Michelle marched to the shop door, locked it and flipped the sign.

Maureen paced Michelle's tiny kitchen. Step step turn, step step turn. Michelle stood in the doorway and caught Maureen's hand after watching for a minute.  
"You told Dana I'm your girlfriend?"  
Maureen stood bouncing her weight from foot to foot. "I guess I did." She glanced over at Michelle's face then back to the wall. "I really like you. Was it too soon to say something like that? Sorry."  
"We-e-ell," Michelle drawled, "I guess I would have preferred it if you had kinda maybe sorta told _me_ first."  
"It just came out! Dana does that. She just makes you want to tell her stuff." Maureen stood still at last. She sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't've said it, I know that. Do you want me to call her and say--"

Maureen looked round in alarm at the high, breathy sound coming from Michelle. It took her a few seconds to realise that Michelle was laughing. Michelle took her free hand away from her mouth, revealing a wide grin. "Oh. My. Glowing. Cloud. You are _fucking adorable_ do you know that?"  
Michelle pulled Maureen by the hand into the living room and pulled her head down for a warm kiss. Maureen wrapped a hand behind Michelle's neck and held around her shoulders with the other arm. Maureen giggled into the kiss. "Shit, Michelle, I am so nervous. You have no idea what you do to me. I've, um, I have not..."  
"Oh hush." Michelle wrapped her arms around Maureen's waist. "You have not had a girlfriend before? Or at least, not one that wanted to have sex?" Maureen's face warmed up. Michelle laughed. "Okay, not right now because you have an essay and I have a business to run, but we're going to talk and decide what we want to do. Okay?"  
Maureen nodded. Michelle reached up for another kiss.  
"In the meantime you can call me your girlfriend. I kinda like it although it's nobody else's business and a bit la-ame."

Michelle let go when Maureen smiled and stretched. Maureen unpacked her notebook and set up the recording of her interview with Mayor Cardinal at the beginning. Michelle kissed Maureen once more and thumped downstairs to open up the shop again. Before Maureen put her earphones in to start transcribing Dana's answers, she heard Michelle make a phone call.

_"Hey, pick up? Maureen totally said I'm her girlfriend. It's freaking awesome. Anyway come and collect that special edition picture-disc of The Ballad of Cat Ballou you ordered, it's here at last and Nat looks gorgeous. Oh, did you like the gift your boyfriend got for you because he was mean? Come and hang out soon but you need to call first since I have a girlfriend now. I probably have plans."_

Maureen covered her face with her hands and shook her head. If Cecil knew, everybody knew. Maureen thought about the implications and smiled, imagining walking around town arm in arm, head up, not having to answer any awkward questions because everybody already heard the answers. 

Maureen listened and wrote and scored out and rewrote, manually tore out passages and re-ordered them before nodding, taking a fresh notebook and writing the title in her best handwriting, followed by her new pen-user licence number, by special order of the Mayor herself. Maureen took time to write clear, rounded letters, forcing herself not to try to make her writing-hand keep pace with her thoughts. Eventually she sat with several sheets of script, stapled together behind a generic front cover bearing her essay title, matriculation number, last wishes and professor's name, all slotted into a protective clear plastic binder and ready to hand in. Maureen picked up her bag and headed downstairs. 

"Michelle? Did you really want to read it or were you just being polite?" Maureen rounded the doorway into the shop to see Michelle standing with a customer. The customer looked up briefly from where he was flicking through the bargain bin. Michelle rolled her eyes and sighed. Maureen laughed. "Okay, I have to hand it in anyway then I have a shift at the store. I left some things, is that okay?" Michelle gave her eyes-only smile and nodded. She turned to the bargain-hunter.  
"Really? Are you sure your son wouldn't prefer something from the cooler, _esoteric_ selection? Oh I know, I have a great rare recording of a recent Pink Floyd live gig. It's on cassette too, that's pretty unusual these days, so rare it's almost real cool again. How old is your son?"  
The man sighed. "I have no idea." 

 

Maureen returned to Dark Owl Records well after closing time. The shop was filled with shadow but there was a light on upstairs. Maureen hesitated by the door. She took out her phone.  
_Is it too late to come round?_  
She heard a snort from above. Maureen looked up to see Michelle's head leaning out of a dark window.  
"I can totally see you lurking. Door's open, lock it behind you and come up. If you wa-ant."  
Maureen grinned at Michelle's face as her head retracted from the window. She pushed open the door, ready to dive for the alarm deactivation switch, but the shadows stayed silent. Maureen locked the door and padded upstairs. 

Michelle looked her up and down from the sofa, half-sneering. "Mmhmm. Nice uniform. Why do shops make their staff look boring? I swear that colour does not actually exist."  
Maureen shrugged. "So that the customers can feel superior and the staff are not tempted to steal uniforms. Um, I brought..." Maureen pointed at her bag, "...some stuff. Is that too forward?"  
Michelle shook her head. "You wanna get changed? You can use the bedroom." 

Maureen hesitated, nodded and vanished. Michelle frowned, replayed the scene in her head, made a silent _oh!_ and followed. she tapped on the bedroom door and went in. Maureen stood, looking at her bag.  
"Maybe this is a bad idea. I guess it's too soon. I mean, I've known you for, like, a week?"  
Michelle shrugged and scowled. "If you say it's too soon then it's too soon. If you don't then it's not. Who tells you what to do and when to do it, Maureen?"  
"Nobody!" Maureen almost spat her reply then rolled her eyes and huffed. "Except at work and in class and when I go see my parents."  
Michelle nodded in agreement. "Right. So do you wanna stay over? You can sleep here with me or on the sofa. We can have sex if you want to or not if you don't. But, please, take that horrible uniform off and come watch TV and snuggle. There's a rockumentary on britpop, whatever that is, so I bet customers will come in tomorrow and I have to know more than they do."

Maureen got changed and joined Michelle on the sofa. Michelle leaned in to Maureen and put her head on the taller woman's shoulder. Maureen slid her arm around Michelle's shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "Ugh I'm sorry I got all weird. I spent so long being told I shouldn't do stuff that I kinda believe it sometimes."  
Michelle put her hand on Maureen's thigh and stroked her. "It's fine. It probably gets better the more time you spend away from people who judge you. Oh, look at that!" Michelle pointed at the TV. "The redhead is real stylish but the blonde one in the pink nightdress could've made an effort."

They giggled their way to the end of the show and left the TV on for whichever movie was scheduled. Maureen closed her eyes, slouched down and rested her head against the back of the sofa. She felt Michelle shift, lift and turn then settle again. Michelle draped an arm over Maureen's stomach, her hand stroking slowly up and down Maureen's side. Maureen smiled. She slipped her hand under the hem of the back of Michelle's top and rubbed lazy circles onto bare skin. Michelle sat up.  
"Something wrong?" Maureen asked, hands off.  
Michelle smiled and shook her head. She pulled off her crop top and lowered her gaze. "Does this make you uncomfortable?" 

Maureen stared at Michelle's breasts for an eternity of about four seconds duration. "Mmm?" Maureen looked at Michelle's face. "You're beautiful, Michelle. Can I touch you?"  
Michelle smiled. She sat straddling Maureen's lap and guided one hand then the other to cup her breasts. Maureen stroked light fingertips down Michelle's body from shoulder to waist then trailed the backs of her fingers up again. She paused over Michelle's nipples, brushing them gently erect, watching the sensitive skin pucker and pull into shape. Michelle took a deep breath in, pushed her shoulders back, and let out a quiet moan. Maureen leaned forwards, nuzzled and kissed, licked and nipped at Michelle's nipples with careful lips. Michelle took Maureen's face in both hands and kissed her. Maureen, light headed and buzzing, felt the muscles of her core spasm once with want, a warm, tingle spread through her groin from her clitoris. She shivered and slouched back farther, pulling Michelle to lie on top of her. Michelle giggled. "You made a decision?"  
Maureen sighed. "I want to do this. Promise not to laugh at me if I get it wrong."  
Michelle kissed Maureen gently. "Oh honey, you can't get it wrong."

Michelle stood up, removed the rest of her clothes and led Maureen into the bedroom, helping her out of her tee shirt and leggings during the short journey. She sniggered at the familiar underwear.  
"Maureen, did you _plan_ this?"  
Maureen did her best to look innocent. "I have no idea what you are talking about, _sweetheart."_  
Michelle laughed and reached behind Maureen to unfasten the bra with the lace trim, letting it slip down Maureen's arms. Maureen shook it to the floor. Michelle hooked a finger under the lace of Maureen's matching panties and eased them down slowly, kneeling to pull the flimsy fabric past Maureen's calf muscles to the floor. Michelle planted a kiss on Maureen's hip as Maureen kicked the garment aside.

Michelle took Maureen's hand and pulled her over to the bed. "Let me look after you. Relax. If I do something you don't like, say so and I'll do something else instead. Oka-ay?"  
Maureen nodded and lay on her side, facing Michelle. Michelle pushed her onto her back with one firm hand on Maureen's shoulder. Michelle traced her hand across Maureen's collarbones, kissed her neck, trailed fingers followed by soft kisses down Maureen's chest, pausing to stroke and gently flick her tongue over hardening nipples. Maureen arched and giggled. Michelle nudged her knee between Maureen's thighs. Maureen complied with the silent request, opening her legs and bending her knees to allow Michelle to kneel in the space between. Michelle stroked over Maureen's stomach, pulling flat hands down over her warm, brown skin, stopping with her thumbs in Maureen's springy hair.

Michelle drew small circles with her thumbs over Maureen's outer labia, watching Maureen's response. Maureen sighed and groaned and shifted, moving her hips and catching her breath as Michelle worked gentle fingers down and back along Maureen's slit to her hot, slippery entrance. Keeping her hand still, Michelle leaned forward and kissed Maureen's cunt. Michelle slid one finger then two fingers slowly into Maureen, feeling her tighten and relax. Michelle withdrew her fingers and slicked over Maureen's clitoris. Maureen stretched her arms above her head, arching her back. Michelle moved to the side, shifted her balance and leaned forward again. She mouthed over Maureen's nipple and slid her fingers back in, brushing her thumb over Maureen's inner labia, tracing the shape of the folds of skin up to her clitoris. 

Maureen opened her mouth and angled her head back. Michelle rocked her hand slowly back and forward, finding her way, fingers thrusting and thumb stroking, using her other hand, tongue and lips on Maureen's breasts. Maureen tilted her hips and pushed her legs wide, one heel hooking around the edge of Michelle's bed, the other trying to find grip on the bedding. 

Michelle moved faster, fingers thrusting hard. Maureen relaxed and let out a sigh. Michelle stopped, murmured _wait,_ and scooted down the bed. She parted Maureen's outer labia gently and circled her tongue around Maureen's clitoris. Maureen gasped _oh fuck yes!_  
Michelle smiled. She slipped her two fingers back into Maureen's vagina, moving them in and out in time with her tongue flicking over Maureen's clitoris. Maureen gripped the bedding and breathed a succession of gasps as her climax spasmed through her core. 

Michelle waited a few seconds and withdrew her fingers slowly. She wiped her hand and her mouth on a corner of the sheet before lying with her arms around Maureen. Maureen giggled.  
Michelle kissed her shoulder. "Was that okay?"  
Maureen giggled again. "No, it was wa-a-ay more than okay. That was... That was fucking wonderful!"  
Michelle grinned. "Mmm. Wanna know a secret?"  
Maureen turned to kiss Michelle. "Sure."  
"I've never done that before either."  
Maureen laughed and rolled Michelle onto her back. "I guess we learn together. All those things you just did to me? I'm going to do them to you now. Okay?"  
Michelle sniggered. "Kinda hoped you'd say that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK this chapter is going to get a couple of changes but editing on mobile devices is a pain in the arse.


	8. Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michelle panics, Cecil interferes and Maureen realises Michelle's facade is brittle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What I wanted in this chapter fit with a tumblr prompt.
> 
> Cosleia said 503/10 "Michreen"  
> "We could talk about it first."

By the time Michelle woke up, Maureen was gone, leaving only a cool dent in the bed. Michelle stretched and yawned and smiled, the warm feeling from their activities before falling asleep still making her head fuzzy. Michelle grinned to herself as she thought about what she and Maureen had experienced together. 

In the shower, Michelle realised that, although disappointed Maureen was not still curved around her back, although she felt like there was something missing, she was happy. Not head-over-heels, ecstatic, but in an imperfect, manageable way that allowed for mistakes.

It did not last. There were no signs of Maureen's stay. Her things were gone, there was no cute note on the fridge door and if she had made coffee or breakfast she must have cleared up thoroughly. Michelle opened the shop an hour later, putting music on just a touch too loud and greeting her first customer with a sneer.

Cecil was not impressed. "Hey, I only came over to see if you had any new country music I could hear."  
"Huh. Country is so over. Like, totally done." Maureen barely lifted her head from the counter.  
"Oh? What about Western?" Cecil persisted.  
"U-u-ugh, no we don't stock tha-a-at. How about you..." Michelle stopped before the insult escaped and replaced her sneer with a frown. "Okay. Can I ask you something?"  
Cecil smiled. "Sure."  
Michelle put on a mock-cheerful voice. "Hey there, Cecil! How well do you know your old intern, Maureen?"  
Cecil grinned. "O-oh. You want me to get you some of whatever you order to torture the pretty barista, and we can have a chat?"  
Michelle emitted a theatrical sigh and sank her head back onto the counter top. 

Cecil returned twenty minutes later with drip filter for himself and a complicated confection for Michelle. "Cute Barista says you're hip as heck for ordering this." Michelle snarled. Cecil put the drink in front of her and leaned both elbows on the counter. "So. Maureen. Well, she's... um, she is... um, she was a real great intern, always knew what was going on. Always spoke her mind, Yup, always knew exactly where I stood with Mauree-een."  
Michelle sat back and studied the ceiling for a minute. "That's exactly what I don't know. Where I stand. With Mau-ree-een. Ugh, this is pointless."  
"You know," Cecil stood up and took a step back to a safer distance, "you could try asking her?"

Michelle growled, "You're no fucking help at all." Cecil shrugged and leaned on the counter again.  
"You two been, um, pals a while?"  
Michelle sighed, "no."  
"Oh." Cecil scratched his chin. "Do you want me to say something on--"  
"NO!" Michelle's head snapped up, her eyes conveying more than the word ever could.  
"Okay." Cecil slurped his coffee. Michelle sipped at her off-menu beverage. A few long seconds passed. "You know, you could tell ol' Cecil what's bothering you. I promise I can keep a secret when I have to." Michelle's doubt flitted across her face, but Cecil smiled. "I never told anyone how you really escaped the sphere, did I?"

Michelle sighed again. "Maureen stayed over last night and it was great, but this morning there's no trace of her."  
Cecil grinned and almost squealed. _"Maureen spent the night?"_ He sniggered. "What did you get up to? No... no, don't answer that. Sorry. Um," Cecil took a moment to control his giggling. "That is so neat!"  
Michele rolled her eyes. "Cecil, can you just not?"  
"I'm sorry. So Maureen and you have this whirlwind romance thing going on and you're concerned that it has all blown over?" Cecil looked for confirmation in Michelle's face. Michelle nodded. "You're scared to call her?" Cecil cocked an eyebrow.  
"No-o," Michelle scowled. "That would be pathetic."  
"That's all right then." Cecil smiled. "You can call her and find out. You know, invite her to meet you in a pleasantly neutral location where you can engineer a reason to stay or an excuse to make a tactical exit if that is what you need to do. That is exactly what I would do."  
Michelle snorted. "Liar!" She shook her head. "We both know you'd agonise about it on your show for, like, months, until he gave in and called you."

Cecil laughed. "So you do want me to tell my listeners--"  
"NO!" Michelle wagged a finger at Cecil. "I'll wait and see if she calls later. Right now, I need to think of a way of increasing profits this month because my customers have caught on to my blank CD scam."  
"You can count on me for publicity, whatever you decide. Can I borrow your phone? Mine's out of juice." Cecil held out his hand. Michelle dropped her phone into his palm.  
Cecil sent one text, said goodbye and left.

An hour later, Maureen burst into the shop, looking around to check for cowering customers and striding up to the counter. She went straight into the back room where Michelle looked up from her reading, wide-eyed, startled.  
"I thought WE could talk about it first!" Maureen brandished her phone as if it was a weapon. "You talked to Cecil! You told Cecil Fucking Palmer about us!"  
Michelle dropped her magazine and leapt up, waving her arms and getting onto her tiptoes. "WHAT DO YOU THINK I DID THAT FOR?" Michelle leaned forward as she yelled, then rocked back onto her heels and stood, arms folded, staring at the wall.  
Maureen took a step backward. "I HAVE NO IDEA! Michelle, just... Oh whatever." Maureen turned and walked out of the back room. Michelle followed, shouting at her back as Maureen marched for the door.  
"I TOLD CECIL BECAUSE HE WAS HERE AND HE WAS KIND TO ME AND BECAUSE YOU DISAPPEARED WITHOUT A TRACE AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WERE COMING BACK OR IF THAT WAS IT! OVER!"

Maureen spun around to see Michelle standing in the middle of her store, fists balled into the fabric of her kilt, teeth clenched in a grimace, eyes darting off to the sides then settling on her boots. Maureen stood, understanding settling like dust. She took slow steps forward.  
"Shit, Michelle, I didn't know you'd... I didn't realise it would look that way. Fuck..." Maureen reached Michelle and touched her shoulder. Gentle words and a touch were enough. Michelle lurched forward and sobbed in Maureen's arms. Maureen waited until Michelle quietened. She spoke softly. "I was a guest, I wanted not to leave a mess. I took all my stuff and went home to shower before I went to class. I didn't want you to think I was messy."  
Michelle sighed. "People don't stay. With me."  
"I think you're... interesting." Maureen frowned. "You're also smart and kind and you say whatever you want. I want to stay for now. With you."  
Michelle sighed again. "Mmhmm. But not, like, every night, right? Wa-a-ay too soon for that."  
Maureen heaved with silent laughter. Michelle allowed one snort to escape. "Oh! Um, come upstairs and I'll find you a different top. I think the one you're wearing should probably go in the laundry." Maureen looked at her shoulder where Michelle's face had been, and shuddered.

Upstairs, Maureen removed her shirt and lounged on Michelle's bed. Michelle pulled out a few garments, tutting and shaking her head until she settled on a loose lace poncho over a stretchy vest top. Maureen pulled the vest down but it returned to its original length every time, revealing a little more midriff that she was used to. Michelle laughed. "You look nice. Leave it alone."  
Maureen smiled. "Thanks. I like it, I'm just used to covering up more. Um, I have a class this afternoon, I should..."  
"Mmhmm and I left the shop open." Michelle rolled her eyes. "I need to get some more customers in somehow. The usual chants aren't working. At this rate I'll struggle this month."  
Maureen shrugged. "Hold a thing, an event. Some kind of music party with a... guest appearance?"  
Michelle pursed her lips. "We-e-ell, we did get Buddy Holly that one time. I could host a summoning... hmmm," Michelle frowned and looked around at the store. Her face cleared and she smiled. "I know! Johnnie Ray! Are you free next Thursday night? Can you get out of whatever you might have been doing, and help out? You got bloodstones? Of course you do..."  
Maureen held up her hand. "Michelle, I'll be there, I promise. I really have to go, I can't afford to miss class. I'll text when I can and you can text me whenever you want to. Anything, even if it's nothing. Just..." Maureen giggled.  
"What?" Michelle bristled. "Are you laughing at me?"  
"No, um, just don't ever give Cecil Dumbass Palmer your phone."

Maureen left with a wave. Michelle frowned and read her messages.  
_sent 11.43am_  
_...It's Cecil you're an idiot if you don't go talk to Michelle rn._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter - the summoning party. It's not going to go to plan.


	9. Maurelle Artwork

<http://kevin-the-chicken.tumblr.com/post/126863335523/michelle-and-maureen-for-longhairshortfuse-this>


	10. Summoning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a summoning party. Someone messes it up.  
> Can you guess who?

Michelle didn't leave the security of her Dark Owl nest without good reason. Shopping for her summoning party was a good reason but still she called both Cecil and Maureen, in that order, and left voicemails to ask if they wanted to, _"I dunno, hang out at the mall or the vintage arcade or whatever, if you wa-ant."_ Cecil replied with an animated emoji of a cat sandwiched between two more bristling, hissing cats while a kitten pounced on all their tails. Maureen texted back a couple of hours later to say _love to!_

In the little coffee shop on the corner a block away from the arcade, Maureen ordered and waited. Michelle was late, but an unexpected customer might have caused a delay. In fact, Michelle had been there a minute early but the place wasn't nearly hip enough to make her favourite drink. She texted Maureen.  
_Hey I'm in the summoning supplies shop_

Maureen slurped most of her coffee and left. She entered the vintage arcade by the usual method of offering a coin to the dead-eyed, bristling guardian at the entrance. Michelle was exactly where she said she would be. Maureen whistled.  
"Ooh you look real good in a summoning robe!"  
Michelle rolled her eyes. "Well, du-u-uh! Everyone looks totally great in a summoning robe. Here," Michelle shrugged off the heavy garment and held it out. "You try it on."  
Maureen grinned and pulled the robe over her shoulders, fastening the pewter and ivory buttons and raising the hood. She twirled and the hem billowed out. Michelle clapped her hands.  
"See! You look good in that. I need to customise mine, though, I could never pull off the off-the-peg look like you can."

The two women chatted and laughed as they shopped for the things on Michelle's list. They wandered back to Dark Owl, took their shopping upstairs and went out together for coffee. Cute Barista sighed and smiled.  
"Ladies? Let me guess," He nodded at Maureen. "Drip filter? Maybe iced? With... "  
Maureen fake-smiled. "With Michelle. I am having coffee with Michelle."  
"And for you, um, okay I'm drawing a blank.There's some cardamom syrup just came in, nobody knows about it yet except me and you now I told you. Cardamom latte, with... um... green peppercorn sprinkles?"

Michelle nodded. They found a table while Cute Barista fussed over their drinks. Maureen leaned close.  
"Cute Barista likes you."  
Michelle sneered. "No, he flirts with everyone. You should see him when Cecil comes in." Michelle preened, Maureen laughed.  
"You could sure use some refreshments for your summoning event. Your customers might appreciate the opportunity to buy late coffee and snacks and the cute barista might appreciate..."  
Two drinks appeared on the table. Another chair pulled up.  
"Ladies, I appreciate that you think I am cute, but I have a name." He pointed to his name badge, an illegible scrawl. "If you are holding an event I can keep the shop open for you. Send enough customers to me and I'll give you a share of the evening's profits. Will, um, will The Voice be coming?"  
Michelle stared, Maureen thanked him for his offer and he left them in peace. Michelle sneered.  
"Sure Cecil will come, but..."  
"...not in the Cute Barista?"  
Cute Barista glared at the giggling women. They drank up and left. 

Back in Michelle's refuge, they looked over their purchases. Summoning cloaks. Candles in a range of colours. Chalk, salt and a set of unpolished, natural bloodstones. Embroidery thread, buttons and sequinned ribbon. The last three items were for Michelle to alter her robe. Even Maureen saying she liked hers fine as it was didn't dent Michelle's mood. 

Michelle counted, estimated and guessed. She called Cecil.  
"Hey Cecil, you should totally come to my summoning event on Tuesday night, 8pm, special guest appearance by Johnnie Ray... yes the father of rock and roll, duh, who else would it be... uh-huh... uh-huh... nuh-huh! And tell your listeners to buy tickets with cash and have coffee at the Cute Barista's place after. Yeaaah, that one... what _ever_ just bring your own summoning robes and bloodstone. Okay. Bye."

Maureen waited until Michelle put her phone away.  
"Hey, try on your new robe again? You look great in midnight blue velour."  
Michelle pouted. "Nope, it's ugly and I won't wear it until I fix that. Pass me the sequins. Uh," Michelle looked in the bag containing Maureen's plain, deep burgundy garment. "You might as well leave yours here instead of carrying it all the way home and back again."  
Maureen detected the tone of dismissal in Michelle's voice. She got up and kissed the shorter woman.  
"You need me out of your way while you prepare? I could stay and help--"  
"No!" Michelle rolled her eyes. "I know what I'm doing and you must have class or work or whatever else you do."  
"Huh." Maureen went to the door. "I guess I'll see you Tuesday."  
"Mmm," Michelle didn't look up. "You should totally come for dinner and stay over after the summoning."  
Maureen smiled, it wasn't the immediate invitation she wanted but it was enough. She kissed Michelle again and left. Michelle watched Maureen from the window,admiring her sway as she walked down the street, and sighed. She pulled both summoning cloaks out of their bags and appraised them side by side. Michelle tapped her chin and smiled.

Tuesday came. Maureen texted _hey, on my way._  
She wondered what Michelle would make for dinner and texted again.  
_You want me to bring food?_  
Michelle replied with a _duh_ and an eyeroll emoji.

Maureen pushed open the door of Dark Owl Records and looked around in wonder. Michelle knew how to decorate for a summoning. The record crates were stacked close to the wall racks leaving a clear expanse of scrubbed and varnished floorboards. Music by, inspired by, or even just containing a passing reference to Johnnie Ray had prime position in the vinyl collection, fully labelled and sorted into order. The shop contained only the regulation allowance of dust, less would make the shop look suspiciously like a branch of _Shellac City,_ more would set off actionable bouts of sneezing. An acoustic guitar rested in a stand in the corner and colourful garlands of quavers and minims and clefs festooned the shelves. 

She could admire more later, once all the candles were flickering and paying guests were chanting around the bloodstone circle that Michelle would have to draw as part of the summoning. Maureen sidestepped between the record displays and slipped upstairs.  
"Hey I brought ta... WHAT IS THAT!" Maureen reached the top of the stairs and stopped dead, staring at the garment hanging from the top of the opposite door. She recognised the deep wine-red colour and the soft fabric, but the rest was... different.

Michelle appeared from the kitchen doorway.  
"Tacos! Great! I'm starving. We should eat before putting on our robes."  
Maureen held out the take-out bag without taking her gaze off the robe in front of her.  
"I made it look real good, didn't I? Wa-a-ay better than it was. Oh, wait, I want to show you mine." 

Michelle disappeared into the bedroom and came back out holding up her own deep blue robe. Maureen swallowed and breathed.  
"Busy! You've been, um, very busy! This is... uh, a lot for the eye to take in."  
Michelle beamed with pride. "I know! Aren't they just so _sphereproof!"_  
Maureen glanced at Michelle's genuine delight at their contrasting, customised robes. She swallowed again, turned and hugged Michelle, brushing a light kiss on her lips.  
"Michelle, I love that you put so much work into this for me. That's so... so... Neat!"  
Maureen clapped a hand over her mouth as Michelle giggled.

Maureen and Michelle lazed on Michelle's bed, listening to the radio. Cecil's voice wafted from its single speaker.  
_...and tonight, there is a summoning at Dark Owl Records. Michelle N'guyen expects a special guest appearance by the "father of rock and roll", Johnnie Ray himself. Bring cash, buy a special commemorative genuine nineteen fifties mp3 player pre-loaded with Johnnie's favourite classics from more recent decades. Also wear your best summoning robe and buy coffee and snacks from the coffee shop across the street, he... um... it's really hot._  
Maureen stared at Michelle.  
"Wha-a-at!?" Michelle demanded. "He would've been totally into the playlist I picked out."

Maureen rolled her eyes and turned off the radio. Michelle groaned.  
"Ugh we've got a couple of hours. We can't go downstairs, like, _early_ and it's not time to get changed yet. Ugh I hate being bored all the time. So-o-o _draining."_  
Michelle flopped onto her back and closed her eyes. Maureen grinned.  
"Hey, babe, I want to see your summoning robe."  
Michelle pointed without opening her eyes.  
"'s there."  
"I know, but I want to see how it looks on you." Maureen smiled. "I mean, I know it'll be totally awesome but I don't want to be distracted from the ritual because I'm too busy staring at you."  
Michelle sat up and frowned at Maureen for a moment.  
"Oh, because it's so _now_ you mean? I guess we could both try them on."

Maureen rolled off the bed and fetched both robes. She laid them out on the bed and watched sideways as Michelle wrapped hers around herself, fastening the clasps and turning her back so Maureen could help adjust the fit using the lacing up the back. Maureen clicked her tongue on her teeth.  
"Uh, Miche-e-elle?"  
"What?"  
"Um, this is gonna look real funny over your clothes. Lumpy. Maybe you should take off your sweater?"  
Michelle shrugged back out of the robe and peeled off her sweater, offering Maureen an accidental glimpse of soft breasts before adjusting her vest top for better modesty. Michelle noticed Maureen's gaze and smiled.  
"Oh do you see something _else_ you wanna do?"  
Maureen felt a buzz in her head, a tingle at the base of her spine and a very specific warmth in her groin. She grinned nervously at Michelle, letting her eyes wander from the smaller woman's bare feet with sparkly green toenails, up tight fitting leggings under a contrasting lace panelled skirt to the swell under her vest.  
Michele snorted.  
"Up here, babe."  
Maureen laughed and shook her head, gazed at Michelle's wide open eyes.  
"I can think of something I'd really like to do," Maureen affected a slight nasal drawl, "if you wa-a-ant."

Maureen realised as soon as the syllables left her lips that she had made a mistake. Michelle pulled her sweater back on and stomped out of the room. Maureen followed.  
"Hey, 'Chelle, I'm sorry. I promise I wasn't making fun of you, I love the way you talk."  
Michelle stood in the kitchen, shoulders hunched and arms folded, back to Maureen, staring out of the window.  
"What _ever_."  
Maureen walked the four steps over to Michelle. She reached a hand out to rub Michelle's shoulder. Michelle flinched away.  
Maureen sighed. "You want me to go?"  
Michelle didn't move. Maureen touched her shoulder again. This time Michelle allowed Maureen to rest the weight of her hand.  
"No, you can stay. Just..."  
Michelle's shoulder trembled. Maureen firmed her grip and put her other arm around Michelle and held her, dropping kisses onto Michelle's head. Michelle leaned back against Maureen and closed her eyes. Maureen sniggered.  
"Hey, you want to hear my impression of Cecil?"

The moment passed. Michelle straightened up away from Maureen's arms and huffed.  
"I suppose we ought to get the place ready. You know, finish the decor and check the sound system, call Cecil and get him to do one last shoutout on his show before he signs off."  
Maureen laughed. "I'll check the sound system. You make the phone call. Then we can finish the decor although it looked pretty perfect to me."  
"Mmm," Michelle shook her head. "Needs more spiders."

Two hours later, Michelle and Maureen giggling nervously in their coordinating summoning robes, fidgeted downstairs waiting for people to arrive. Michelle's favourite playlist blared from the shop and Cute Barista waved to them from across the road. Cecil arrived with a plus-one, Michelle recognised the man who had been looking for a CD for his son. Maureen scowled at him until a dazed-looking man in a lab coat arrived, out of breath and apologetic, muttering something about _man with two clocks never knows the right time_ and giggling.

Michelle pulsed the music volume and turned it down to get everyone's attention.  
"Uh, thank you all for coming, I guess, if you have not paid for a ticket yet then... Jeez what were you _thinking!_ Maureen here has a list of ticket pre-sales and on-the-door payments. She's gonna check your tickets real close before we begin. The order of the evening is, ugh, a musical retrospective. Ugh, retro is so over right now. Everyone loves retro nostalgic cra..."  
Michelle stopped when she noticed Maureen shaking her head violently and making cutting motions with a hand across the air in front of her.  
"Okay. A musical retrospective, then the summoning, then the star guest will probably do something but I have no idea what since he's been dead for, like, for _ever_ and won't have heard of any of the real happening music I know about. I can't believe I just said happening. Ugh. After that the coffee place across the road will give you a special price on all off-menu beverages if you hand over your ticket when you order."  
Michelle paused for breath. Maureen smiled at her and Cecil clapped, encouraging a few others to join in.  
"Okay, everyone needs to get into a circle. Take out your bloodstones. Anyone who forgot theirs can hire one for the event."

There was a small kerfuffle of people giving Maureen cash and signing for numbered bloodstones, but soon everyone was arranged in a double circle inside the shop. Michelle checked that Cute Barista was watching from the coffee shop window and started drawing shapes on the floor in salt, sand and sulfur. Maureen killed the music and the overhead lights at a signal from Michelle, plunging the shop into silent, flickering shadow for the briefest second before someone giggled.  
_"Who was that!"_ Michelle snapped her head round but nobody made eye contact. Maureen had her suspicions, the scientist fellow was carefully studying the ceiling and Cecil was grinning and rubbing his butt. 

Michelle continued once the sombre mood returned. She led the group in a series of chants that drowned out the whispered conversation between Cecil and his companions. Michelle raised both hands high and brought them down abruptly, sleeves whooshing through the air. The chanting crowd was silent.

Silent, except for one loud whisper.  
_"Louie Bla-a-asco?"_

Heads turned to seek out the source of the unscripted intrusion. Cecil stood, both hands over his mouth, shaking his head. Michelle opened her mouth to yell at him but didn't have the chance as everyone suddenly felt a rush, as if all the air was being sucked out of the room and replaced by pure heat. People clawed at their hoods and their faces, clutched their arms at their chests and heaved deep lungfuls of searing void. 

And it was over. People stood or fell to their knees on the floor, dazed but relieved, wondering who best to blame and whether they should ask for their ticket price back. In the darkness, before anybody had a chance to formulate a scream, there was a click and a hiss and dancing shadows from a single flickering flame. A figure crouched in the centre of the pattern on the floor, wild eyes reflecting the yellow glow from the lighter he held aloft, head turning slowly from side to side as he surveyed his surroundings. He spoke, voice raw and cracked, barely able to form words.  
"Aw yisssss!"

Michelle strode over and took the lighter away, signalling Maureen to turn the lights back on. She sighed.  
"Louie, you know you're not allowed naked flames any more."  
"Hu-uh. Nope." The figure grinned, eyes following the hand where Michelle had concealed his lighter.  
"Okay, Louie. Now you're here you may as well entertain the crowd. You gonna play something? I still got your old guitar."  
Louie straightened up a little and frowned at Michelle.  
"You didn't burn it? You said you'd burn it."  
Michelle rolled her eyes. "Shut up."  
Louie leered at Michelle. "You... you kept it?"  
"Shut up, Louie."  
Louie grinned, his face an almost sentient thing in its own right.  
"You like me!"  
Michelle thrust the acoustic guitar at Louie.  
"Shut up and play, already, before these good people start a riot."  
Louie hugged the guitar to his body, produced a hunting knife from his pocket and took a deep breath in. 

\------

Cute Barista brought drinks over once the last complaining customer had let the coffee shop door close with a jingle of the little brass bell above it.  
"Heeey, successful night, ladies!" Michelle nodded, murmuring figures as she continued counting cash. Maureen smiled and said thanks when he handed her a plain drip filter. "Mmhm. I gave The Voice my number again in case he lost it. That guy in the lab coat glared at me a bit, really _smouldered,_ you know? I drew a little heart on his cup. The other one just laughed and said maybe they could use me and that made Cec... The Voice choke on his coriander frap." Cute Barista handed over a few more notes. "We made a decent profit for a slow night. Here's your share."

Michelle smiled and added up the total. Guitar music floated around the shop, occasionally punctuated with breathy laughter and demands for more knives. Cute Barista stared into the centre of the shop.  
"Um, is that..."  
"Yeah. Don't ask."  
"Are you keeping him?"  
"Nope. We summoned him by accident. I'm sending him home as soon as he gets bored. You know he has a bit of a fiery temper, I've heard."  
Cute Barista nodded and swallowed.  
"Where, um," he looked from Louie to Michelle and back. "Where did you summon him _from?"_

Cute Barista left. Michelle locked the door and walked over to her unexpected guest.  
"Hey, Louie, guitar?"  
Louie dipped his head to look at the floor but rolled his eyes up to watch Michelle. Michelle held out her hand. Louie shuffled his feet and slowly held out his instrument. Michelle set it back on its stand.  
"Want something too." Louie stared. "Swap."  
Michelle shrugged.  
"Sure, what do you want?"  
"Guitar real personal to me. Want something personal."  
Maureen scowled.  
"Okay this is getting creepy."  
Maureen stepped back rapidly as she realised her foot was inside the sulfur trail that determined Louis's perimeter.  
"Want..." Louis looked around and let his eyes settle on Maureen, "...something you love."  
"Ugh!" Michelle walked to the far corner, picked up a broom and swept the signs from the floor until all that remained was a pyramid of white, beige and yellow dust. Louis was gone.

Maureen helped dispose of the dust and put the shop back in order. Michelle closed her eyes and leaned against the counter by the till, turning her back to the shop. Maureen turned the lights off, closed the shutters and leaned beside her.  
"Did you and he--"  
"Shut up."  
"Okay."  
"Maybe I needed someone and he was there."  
"He gave you his guitar."  
"Right before he burned his shop down for the insurance money and _apparently_ skipped town."  
"Oh. So how come he got summoned?"  
"Dunno." Michelle shrugged. "I guess he died in the fire after all. It's a shame, I mean, we _got_ each other even if he is totally creepy."

Maureen looped her arms around Michelle's shoulders and stooped to lay her head on Michelle's shoulder.  
"Sorry."  
"About Louie? Nah, he's good. You saw him, right?"  
"What? No. For earlier. For making fun of your voice."  
"Oh. Okay. Want to stay tonight?"  
"Mmhmm."

Maureen stood up, rubbed her hands down the lacing at Michelle's back, leaned in and kissed her. Michelle wrapped her arms loosely around Maureen's waist, smiling when her own robe loosened in response to Maureen's fingers picking at the laces. Maureen laughed.  
"You were right about the robes. Yours was the best. I mean everybody else's were so..."  
Michelle snorted. "I know, ri-i-ight? You really suit that colour and the embroidery contrasts with _everything._ Nobody else had any imagination with theirs. Except Cecil."  
Maureen nodded. "I swear that was a screen print of Khoshekh on his."  
"And the little bells on the hem were sick."  
"But your robe is awesome."

Michelle smiled. "What do you like about it?"  
Maureen moved to stand in front of Michelle. and made a show of looking her up and down, head to toe and back again.  
"I like the colour on you. And the lacing at the back to make it a good fit on top was inspired. No shapeless hang-from-the-shoulders as if you were a shop dummy." Maureen put her hands on Michelle's shoulders and let her fingers drift down Michelle's torso to her waist. "It emphasises your shape. Shows off your figure."  
"Hmm," Michelle fished. "Anything else?"  
Maureen nodded. She pulled Michelle up from her slouch against the counter and touched the row of carved bone buttons that ran decoratively off-centre from shoulder to hip.  
"You remodelled it to drape from a fitted waist, so it shows you have a nice ass. I like that very much."  
Maureen stroked her hands around Michelle's hips to her ass and rubbed circles in the soft fabric.  
"You made it a wrap over design so you can move freely and I can... OH!"

Michelle sniggered. Maureen grinned, face lighting up as her hand explored through the overlap in the robe, finding warm skin unencumbered by underwear. Maureen let Michelle rest back against the counter again and leaned forwards against her, one hand supporting her own weight on the countertop and the other gently trailing fingers up and down Michelle's bare hip.  
"Mmm, I want to hear you make happy sounds right here."  
Michelle murmured in Maureen's ear and kissed her throat. _"I want that."_  
"You want..." Maureen moved her hand slowly to Michelle's inner thigh and stroked upwards, "...this?"  
Michelle whimpered out a _yes!_

Maureen kissed Michelle's face from her eyebrow to her cheek, jaw and finally her lips. Michelle held on around Maureen's waist, pulling their hips together, allowing Maureen to push a hand up to the swell of her breast, massaging through the thick fabric of the robe. Maureen gave up for a moment, loosened the lacing further and tried again, this time easing her hand up inside the robe. Michelle let go and arched back, with her elbows behind her for support and pushing her breast into Maureen's hand. Maureen kissed Michelle's throat and neck, circling her thumb around Michelle's erect nipple. Michelle closed her eyes.

Maureen crouched, slipping her other hand up inside Michelle's summoning robe, circling her fingertips around and over both of Michelle's nipples, wondering if asking Michelle to remove her robe completely would wreck the moment. Michelle moaned at Maureen's touch, pushed her shoulder blades together, head almost touching the counter behind her. Maureen extracted one hand and pushed the dark fabric open, revealing Michelle's legs, feet planted apart on the floor. Maureen knelt, knees between Michelle's feet, massaging circles up Michelle's thighs with flat hands, working her way higher. Maureen's hands reached the top of Michelle's thighs and her thumbs teased at Michelle's entrance. 

Michelle let out a long breath and grinned, unseen. She pushed her hips further forward and down, opened her legs more and heard Maureen laugh.  
"You really do want this, don't you?"  
Michelle snorted.  
"Shut up and fuck me already."  
Maureen giggled. She slipped one thumb around Michelle's warm, wet entrance. Michelle groaned. Maureen pushed her thumb up over the delicate folds around Michelle's clit. Michelle gasped and pushed her hips forward again.  
"Just... fuck me fast! Make me.. haaah!"  
Maureen withdrew the two fingers she had pushed into Michelle.  
"Sorry, too much?"  
"Harder!"  
Maureen pushed her fingers back inside Michelle and thrust her wrist back and forward, her fingers slipping in and almost out of Michelle. With her other hand, Maureen held thick folds of fabric out the way so that she could lean forward and kiss Michelle's cunt, using her lips to push a path to her hardened clit. Maureen's pointed tongue circled around and over Michelle's clit in time with the thrusts of her wrist, until Michelle's muscles spasmed, tightening and relaxing in waves around Maureen's fingers and making her clit pulse. Michelle sighed and lay back on the counter, feet dangling. Maureen didn't move, two fingers deep inside Michelle, lips still an inch from her clit.

"Mmm, you all done? Or you want to go again right now?"  
Maureen waited for an answer.  
Michelle wriggled for comfort, feeling Maureen's fingers crook inside her.  
"Mmhmm, slow and soft this time."  
Maureen smiled then licked a broad, flat tongue over Michelle's clit, moving her head in small circular motions in time with the leisurely motion of her hand. After Michelle's second, slower, more diffuse climax, Maureen withdrew her fingers and scooped Michelle up.  
"I'm taking you up to bed. Okay?"  
Michelle nodded, eyes closed and face relaxed. Maureen carried Michelle upstairs, helped her out of her robe and into bed, wrapping the covers around her and cradling her close. Maureen kissed Michelle's forehead.  
"You need anything, babe?"  
Michelle freed an arm and wrapped it around Maureen.  
"Yeah. Tea with sugar and you not to leave."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So nearly titled this one "second coming"


	11. Yellow (side-chapter)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maureen has a new job as a florist. Carlos wants to buy flowers for Cecil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From a tumblr prompt (follow alloftheprompts, they're great)
> 
> Cosleia asked for 649/8 Maureen  
> "We only have yellow flowers"

Carlos stared around the florist's displays. A young woman came in from the back door. She wore a polo shirt bearing the logo 'Desert Flower Flowers' and a scowl.

"Can I help you?"   
"Oh! Yes please," Carlos smiled, charm usually worked in his favour, then he recognised the intense expression of the florist. "Maureen?"  
Maureen's scowl did not shift.  
"You!"

Carlos dropped the intensity of his smile from _supernova_ to _yellow dwarf._  
"Hi, I didn't know you worked here. How are you?"  
"Yeah, I'm okay." Maureen shrugged, allowing her face to soften. "Brings in more than the fashion retail job I had. The hours are longer but I get left alone more. So it's a better job. What do you want?"

Carlos looked around.  
"I want to get Cecil some flowers. Do you have any roses?"  
Maureen smiled her best please-the-customer smile and pointed.  
"Sure! A dozen long-stem, without thorns, tied all pretty for twenty bucks."  
Carlos's eyebrows shot up.  
"But they're not red and it's not, you know," he whispered, "Valentine's day."  
"Oh." Maureen smirked. "If he's not worth that much you can have the cheaper ones for a buck each and I'll throw in some cellophane."

Carlos sighed.  
"Ah it's not that, I really wanted red ones. Oh! Do you have any chrysanthemums or dahlias?"  
"Oh we got a ton of those. John Peters, you know the horticulturalist? He's taken up growing imaginary--"  
"Never mind. What about tulips?"  
"There," Maureen pointed at a bucket spilling over with pale green buds on succulent stems. "Next to the narcissi and daffodils."  
"Are they..."  
"Red? No."

Carlos pointed to vases and buckets in turn. Maureen named the flowers.  
"Forsythia, beautiful, delicate flowers grow from the bare wood before leaves form. It's quite unusual in this climate."  
"Is it red? I'd settle for lilac or bl--"  
"No, it's yellow."

"That one is rudbeckia, commonly known as sunflower."  
"Is it...?"  
"Yellow."

"Eschscholzia, California Poppy. A real hit, scatter the seeds and it'll be in your yard for an eternity."  
Maureen smiled at Carlos. Carlos made a connection and his face lit up.  
"Poppy? Poppies are red, right?"  
Maureen smiled deeper somehow.  
"Yeah but this is not a real member of the poppy family, just looks a bit like one. It's yellow. Orange if you want."  
Carlos shook his head.

"And that one?"  
"Echinacea, coneflower. These come on a whole range of colours. This one is--"  
"Yellow?"  
"You guessed it!"

Maureen smiled. "Iris?"  
Carlos pointed at the pack of dry bulbs.   
"Blue?"  
"Yellow."

Carlos clenched his fists and took a deep breath.  
"Do you," he tried real hard to smile at Maureen, "have ANY red or lilac or blue flowers at all?"  
Maureen grinned.  
"We have some hyacinth bulbs you could plant, variety called City of Harlem. Be up next spring, smell divine."  
"Hyacinth! Those are a kind of blue, right?"  
Maureen tightened her lips and shook her head.  
"This variety? Nope."  
Carlos threw up his hands.  
"Yellow?"  
Maureen nodded.

Maureen delighted in Carlos's annoyance until she felt a twinge of guilt.  
"Look, we only have yellow flowers. It's not my fault, you know, St... another company took over and I have to shift all their stock. Sorry."

"Oh," said Carlos, then again, "oh."  
"Yeah. SO yellow roses or yellow tulips or yellow--"  
"--how much?"  
"What?" Maureen boggled at Carlos.  
"For all of it. How much?"  
Maureen calculated based on her working hours, the likely cost of stocking up with something less monotone and maybe a tip. She named a figure.

"Damn! Look, I can offer this much." Carlos named a much lower figure. "Send it all to Night Vale General Hospital or something. Just get rid of it and I'll come back in a few days. Okay?"  
Maureen stared.  
"Okay. Um..."  
"What?"  
"Is he really worth it?"

Carlos smiled.  
"Yes. Yes, he is."


End file.
